Fountain shaving brush



Feb. 13, 1934G 1. s. MATHIEU Er AL FOUNTAIN sHAvING BRUSH Filed Nov. 13, 1931 Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN SHAVING BRUSH Application November 13, 1931 Serial No. 574,808

15 claims. (ci. 15s- 137) Our invention relates to an improved fountain shaving brush.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a shaving brush having a hollow handle with cream dispensing means therein so constructed to t directly inside a tube of shaving cream inserted in the handle, whereby to dispense the cream therefrom, or operate simply inside the handle when the same is filled with cream, as by emptying a tube therein. This makes the brush independent of use with any particular sized tube, and the user can employ his favorite cream without regard to the size of tube.

Another object is to provide a brush embodying an improved adapter in the head permitting the attachment thereto of tubes having diferent sized necks.

Still another object is to provide a dispensing means of the screw and piston type in which the screw is movable endwise in the butt a predetermined distance to measure the amount of cream dispensed upon each operation, and thus prevent waste.

Still another object is to provide a brush in which the shank of the brush proper is readily detachable from the head to permit replacement of the brush as a separate part of the unit when the same is no longer t for use.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a side view of our improved fountain shaving brush, a portion of the cap therefor being broken away for purposes of better illustration;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the brush, and

Fig. 3 is a view showing the steps in opening and forming the butt end of a tube of shaving cream to t in the handle.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in the drawing.

The brush 4 has a shank 5 threaded as at 6 in the head '7. A small screw 8 in a countersunk hole in the head 7 serves to lock the shank 5 in place, but can be loosened when the brush 4 is no longer fit for use and a new brush is to be substituted.' In other words, the brush is a separately replaceable part. The advantages in having it so are thought to be self-evident.

The parts 5 and '7 may be made of hard rubber or other suitable molded material, a preferably metallic nozzle 9 being suitably' molded in place in the head 7 and adapted to fit snugly through a center hole 10 in the shank 5 for discharge of shaving cream into the brush 4. It is contemplated, in accordance with one phase of our invention, to have the tube oi shaving cream make which it is desired to use will not lit in the handle connection directly with the nozzle 9. In order to permit of attaching tubes having different sized necks, we provide the adapter indicated at 11 made up of an inner and an outer bushing threaded in one another, the outer bushing be- 60 lng threaded in place in the nozzle 9. The inner bushing is internally threaded to receive the externally threaded neck l2 of a tube 13 of shaving cream. The particular tube shown has a small sized neck. If another tube is to be used having a larger sized neck, the inner bushing of the adapter can be unthreaded as by entering a screw-driver, knife blade or coin in its diametrical slot 1,4, whereupon the tube may be threaded in the internal threads of the outer bushing in a manner thought to be easily understood. The threads of said bushings will, of course, conform to those on the tubes which it is contemplated will be used, and the internal thread on the nozzle 9 will be provided to fit the largest size neck. In other words, the smallest size neck will fit the internal threads of the inner bushing; an intermediate size will t the internal threads of the outer bushing, and the largest size will t the internal threads provided directly in the nozzle 9. While we have illustrated an adapter of this construction, it will be evident that other means of accomplishing the same result will occur to those skilled in the art. If it happens that the tube l5, the tube may be used itself as a handle if so desired, or its contents may be emptied into the handle and dispensed therefrom, as hereinafter described. The handle, it will be noticed, has the head 7 threading therein, as indicated at 16. A gasket 17 of rubber or other suitable material is interposed to make a water-tight joint.

The butt end of the handle l5 is closed by a cap 18 threading thereon, as at 19. The handle is suitably formed from tubing for lightness. and has a ring 20 pressed into the enlarged butt end to provide a tapered seat 2l on which the opened and flared end 22 of the tube 13 is adapted to iit and be clamped by the tapered portion 23 of the cap 18, which has wedging engagement therewith. It is, of course, well known that tubes of shaving cream are sold with the butt end folded and crimped, as appears at 24 in Fig. 3. We have found that it is a simple matter to unfold the end and open it to the form indicated at 25. Then, with the tube in place in the handle, the end can be swedged, as at 22, to fit on the seat 21; the tube being of white metal is so soft that this forming can be done by hand. The opening up of the tube leaves enough room in the end to accommodate the piston 26. The latter is of any suitable compressible resilient material, such as rubber, and is provided of a large enough diameter to fit snugly inside the handle 15. However, since the tube has such a thin wall, the piston can be entered therein without any difficulty, whereby to expel the cream directly from inside the tube. A screw 27 cooperates with the piston 26 and is operable by means of a knurled knob 28 to feed the piston forward. The fact that the tube is supported annularly by the wall of the handle 15 manifestly keeps it from breaking under such pressure as is developed therein in the operation of the piston, and there is no danger of the tube crumpling endwise because it is firmly held in place by the swedge connection at the butt end thereof. The fact that the piston is compressible and expansible makes it adapted for use as stated before, either inside the tube entered in the handle or directly inside the handle, as for example, where it is found that a tube will not t in the handle and its contents must, therefore, be emptied into the handle. In the absence of a tube in the handle, the tapered portion 23 wedges tightly directly on the seat 21 to make a water-tight joint. In addition, we prefer to provide a gasket 29 in the cap 18 to further prevent entry of water or leakage of cream.

In most fountain shaving brushes where the dispensing means is of the screw and piston type, the piston is fed directly by the turning of the screw. The objection to that is that one is apt to give the screw too many turns and waste cream. We prefer to have the butt end of the screw slidably received in the cap 18 in a stuffing box 30 formed on the cap. A stop collar 31, rigid with the screw inside the handle, comes into abutment with the stufling box when the screw is turned back a predetermined amount, as indicated in dotted lines. The piston 26 is then fed forward by thumb pressure on the knob 28 to advance it to the dotted line position indicated. This manifestly accurately measures the amount of cream that will be dispensed upon each operation and avoids any likelihood of waste.

A cap 32 is preferably provided to t over the brush 4 and may simply have a friction fit on the outside of the shank 5 or thread thereon as at 33. Air holes 34 are provided in the cap for obvious reasons. A cap of this sort can be used in packing the brush in a traveling bag, and will probably not be used otherwise. After the brush has been used, it will ordinarily be stood on end in the cabinet. It will be observed that the construction of the cap 18 is such that a sufficient recess 35 is afforded to accommodate the knob 28, thus leaving the butt end of the brush flat to permit of its being stood on end.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of our invention. While reference has been made to a shaving brush, it should, of course, be understood that the invention is applicable to a variety of other devices in which a similar dispensing problem is involved, and to fountain brushes generally for the dispensing of different materials of a fluid or semi-fluid consistency. The appended claims have accordingly been drawn so as to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

What we claim is:

1. In a fountain brush comprising a head carrying a brush into which material is to be dispensed through a passage provided in the head, an adapter on said head at the inlet end of said passage for threaded connection therewith of different sized necks of different containers of material to be dispensed, said adapter comprising a plurality of inter-threaded bushings mounted in the head, said bushings being internally and externally threaded and threaded on one another whereby to provide a plurality of internal threads of different diameters in the different bushings for reception of different sized necks, said bushings being removable from one anotheito make available for use any particular sized internal thread desired.

2. In a fountain brush comprising a head carrying a brush into which material is to be dispensed through a passage provided in the head, an adapter on said head at the inlet end of said passage for threaded connection therewith of different sized necks of different containers of material to be dispensed, said adapter comprising at least one bushing internally and externally threaded and threadedly mounted in an internally threaded socket in the head, the internal threads of said bushing being provided solely to receive a certain sized externally threaded neck of a container, and the internal threads of the socket being provided solely to receive an cxternally threaded larger sized neck of a different container when the bushing is removed, said bushing being removable from the head to make available for use the internal threads of said socket.

3. An adapter for a threaded connection comprising a plurality of inter-threaded bushings, all of said bushings being internally and externally threaded and being detachably threaded in one another, the external threads of the outermost bushing being adapted to be received in the internal threads of one of two members to be threadedly connected, and the internal threads of the innermost bushing being adapted to receive the external threads of the other of said members, one or more of the inner bushings being adapted to be removed to make available a larger sized internal thread for reception of a larger sized external thread of another member to be connected to the rst mentioned member.

4. A fountain brush comprising in combination a brush-carrying head, a hollow handle extending from the head, said head having a passage provided therein through which material may be dispensed to the brush from the handle, a removable, thin-walled collapsible tubular container of material to be dispensed tting in and laterally supported by said handle, means providing a detachable connection between the head and the one end of the container for the discharge of material from the container through the passage in said head, means for detachably anchoring the other end of the container in the handle and preventing collapsing thereof, and means on the handle whereby the material is expelled from said container through said head, said means comprising a piston of resilient compressible material operable either inside the handle itself or inside a container therein of the kind described.

5. A fountain brush comprising in combination a brush-carrying head. a hollow handle extending from the head, said head having a passage provided therein through which material may be dispensed to the brush from the handle. a tubular container of material to be dispensed fitting in and laterally supported by said handle. means providing a detachable connection between the head and the forward end of the container whereby to discharge material from the container through the passage in said head, a piston having a working fit inside said container for the discharge of material therefrom under pressure, and means for moving the piston, the butt end of the handle being open, and a removable closure therefor, the butt end of the container being likewise open and having an end portion arranged to be clamped between the closure and the handle in the attachment of said closure to the handle, whereby the closure serves to seal the end of said container along with the.

handle, and also clamp the end of said container.

6. A fountain brush comprising in combination a brush-carrying head, a hollow handle extending4 from the head, said head having a passage provided therein through which material may be dispensed to the brush from the handle, a tubular container of material to be dispensed fitting in and laterally supported by said handle, means providing a detachable connection between the head and the forward end of the container whereby to discharge material from the container through the passage in said head, a piston having a working t inside said container for the discharge of material therefrom under pressure, and means for moving the piston, the piston being of resilient material adapted to have a snug working t directly inside the handle in the absence of a separate container, said piston being compressible suiliciently to have a working t inside the container, the butt end of the handle being open, and a removable closure therefor having a portion arranged to seat on a portion of the handle to seal the latter, the butt end of said container being also open, and the same having an end portion adapted to fit between the aforesaid portions on the closure and handle, whereby the closure serves to seal said container as well as said handle.

7. A fountain brush comprising in combination a brush-carrying head, a hollow handle extending from the head, said head having a passage provided therein through which material may be dispensed to the brush from the handle, a tubular container of material to be dispensed fitting in and laterally supported by said handle, means providing a detachable connection between the head and the forward end of the container whereby to discharge material from the container through the passage in said head, a piston having a working fit inside said container for the discharge of material therefrom under pressure, and means for moving the piston, the handle being adapted to serve itself as a container for the material to be dispensed in the absence of a separate container, the butt end of the handle being open, and a removable closure for said handle, said closure having a portion adapted to cooperate with a seat on the handle to seal the latter directly in the absence of a container, the butt end of the container being also open and having an end portion adapted to enter between the aforesaid portion on the closure and the seat on the handle, whereby the said closure serves to seal the container as well as the handle.

8. A fountain brush comprising in combination a brush-carrying head, a hollow handle extending from the head, said head having a passage provided therein through which material xnay be dispensed to the brush from the handle, a tubular container of material to be dispensed fltting in and laterally supported by said handle, means providing a detachable connection between the head and the forward end of the container whereby to discharge material from the container through the passage in said head, a piston having a working fit inside said container for the discharge of material therefrom under pressure, and means for moving the piston, the butt end of the handle being enlarged and open, and a removable closure for said handle, said handle having an annular seat provided in the open end thereof, the butt end of the container being open and having the end portion of its walls spread outwardly over the annular seat, the closure having an annular portion arranged in the attachment of the closure to clamp the end portion of said container on said seat.

9. In a device for dispensing a cream or other substance from a collapsible tube, a housing for the tube, a piston adapted to operate inside the tube while the walls of said tube are supported against expansion in said housing, the butt end of said tube being opened to admit the piston, means for clamping the open end of the tube on said housing, and means for operating the piston.

l0. In a device for dispensing a cream or other substance from a collapsible tube, a housing for the tube, a piston adapted to operate inside the tube while the walls of said tube are supported against expansion in said housing, the butt end of said tube being opened to admit the piston, said housing having an annular seat provided thereon about the butt end of the tube, the opened end of said tube being flared to fit on said seat, a closure fitting in the flared end of said tube to clamp the same to the seat, and means for operating the piston.

11. In a device for dispensing a cream o`r other substance from a collapsible tube, a housing for the tube, the tube having a tapered front end, a piston adapted to operate inside the tube while the walls of said tube are supported against expansion in said housing, the front end of the piston being tapered to fit the tapered front end of the tube, whereby to permit discharge of substantially all of the contents from the tube, the butt end of said tube being opened to admit the piston, means for clamping the open end of the tube on said housing, and means for operating the piston.

12. In a device for dispensing a cream or other substance from a collapsible tube, a housing for the tube, the tube having a tapered front end, a piston adapted to operate inside the tube while the walls of said tube are supported against expansion in said housing, the front end of the piston being tapered to t the tapered front end of the tube, whereby to permit discharge of substantially all of the contents from the tube, the butt end of said tube being opened to admit the piston, said housing having an annular seat provided thereon about the butt end of the tube, the opened end of the tube being flared to iit on said seat, a closure tting in the ared end of said tube to clamp the same to the seat, and means for operating the piston.

13. In a device for dispensing a cream or other substance from a collapsible tube, a housing for the tube, the tube having a tapered front end, a piston adapted to operate inside the tube while the walls of said tube are supported against expansion in said housing, the front end of the piston being tapered to fit the tapered front end of the tube, whereby to permit discharge of substantially all of the contents from the tube, the butt end of said tube being opened to admit the piston, a closure for the housing fitting in the opened end of the tube to clamp the same on the housing, and a screw extending lengthwise in the housing from the closure toward but not up to the discharge end of the tube, the screw being threaded in the piston for operation thereof and said piston being operable the full length of the tube to a position extending beyond the end of the screw, whereby to permit discharge of substantially the complete contents of the tube, and a knob on the outer end of the screw for turning the same.

14. In a device for dispensing a cream or other material from a tubular container, a head having a passage provided therein through which the material is to be discharged, and an adapter on said head at the inlet end of said passage for threaded connection therewith of different sized necks of dierent containers of material to be dispensed. said adapter comprising a plurality of inter-threaded bushings mounted in the head, said bushings being internally and externally threaded and threaded on one another whereby to provide a plurality of internal threads of different diameters in the different bushings for reception of different sized necks, said bushings being removable from one another to make available for use any particular sized internal thread desired.

15. In a device for dispensing a cream or other material from a tubular container, a head having a passage provided therein through which the material is to be discharged, and an adapter on said head at the inlet end of said passage for threaded connection therewith of different sized necks of diierent containers of material to be dispensed, said adapter comprising at least one bushing internally and externally threaded and threadedly mounted in an internally threaded socket in the head, the internal threads of said bushing being provided solely to receive a certain sized externally threaded neck of a. container, and the internal threads of the socket being provided solely to receive an externally threaded larger sized neck of a different container when the bushing is removed, said bushing being removable from the head to make available for use the internal threads of said socket.

ISAAC S. MATHIEU. FRANK B. SPRINGER. 

